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Residents warn proposed Elmwood Drive rezoning could strain Colonial Heights schools
Summary
Two residents and a parent told the Colonial Heights School Board that a developer’s plan to rezone land adjacent to Elmwood Drive for higher-density housing could add roughly 165 students and strain transportation and classroom capacity.
Two residents and a parent told the Colonial Heights School Board on Aug. 26 that a private developer’s plan to rezone land between Elmwood Drive and Temple Avenue for higher-density housing could add a substantial number of students to the district and strain transportation and school resources. The concerns were raised during the board’s public-comment period and prompted a brief acknowledgment from the board chair that staff could follow up.
The comments focused on potential student enrollment and transportation impacts. “They are looking to rezone it to high density … approximately a 110 residents,” said Jennifer Frazier, giving her address and saying she lives in Southern Heights near Mount Pleasant Baptist Church. “That would equate to about a 165 more students to Colonial Heights High School.”
The nut graf: Board members did not take formal action during the meeting; public commenters asked the board to monitor rezoning proceedings and to consider likely impacts on student assignment, bus routes and classroom size if the rezoning proceeds. The board’s role in land-use decisions is limited, but school enrollment projections and transportation planning can be affected by local zoning changes.
In further remarks, Kimberly Tucker, who also identified her address near Elmwood Drive, echoed concerns about resources. “The main issue would be the resources … that many kids would have on the current school situation,” Tucker said, adding that families move to Colonial Heights for the schools and that rezoning could affect that reputation.
A parent who identified herself as living on Homestead Drive and said her daughter attends Lakeview Elementary raised related operational concerns about bus service and student readiness. “There was a massive issue with a couple of the buses not arriving — coming early — almost half an hour early to pick up students,” she said. She also asked what steps the district is taking to improve test scores and academic outcomes for students.
Board Chair (name on record) responded briefly: “Typically, we do not respond directly about comments. I think we can follow-up on a couple of things within that.” No formal direction to staff or motions related to the rezoning were made during the meeting; the remarks were entered as public comment.
Background and context: Commenters said the developer’s revised plan they reviewed would mostly be townhomes with some single-family homes. Commenters used an estimated 1.5 students per household figure to reach the 165-student estimate; the district did not provide a projection during the meeting. Commenters also raised secondary concerns about traffic, police response to incidents and possible elementary-school boundary changes if enrollment rises.
Next steps and outlook: The board did not place the rezoning or enrollment projection on the agenda and made no policy changes at the meeting. Residents asked the board to monitor any rezoning applications and to share relevant enrollment and transportation analyses if the city advances the proposal.
